Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-01
THE B. \ D. POLICY.

The Future Action.
A dispatch from Wheeling to the New
York Tribune of November -, contains the
following:
The reorganization Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company, perfected rs
claimed under the direction OF the New
York syndicate, Is not looked upon with
favor in this State. The people OF West
Virginia feel that they were made to suffer
under the old regime OF the Baltimore and
Ohio company, and the new organization
foreshadOws, in effect, a continuance ofthe
old policy which brought the company TO
grief ami prevented the establishment Of
any local industries along its line. For
thirty years the Baltimore and OHIO COM
pany charged the people Of West
Virginia $50 more per carload on cattle
shipped from any point in the state to
Baltimore than i did on cattle shipped
from Ohio aud Chicago, although the dis
lance is from 300 10 100 miles farther. The
natural result Is that the cattle industry
in this State - destroyed and most men
that pursued it broke. The same in a
large measure holds true OF the lumber IN
terests. The policy o! The Baltimore and
Ohio company has hseu such as to dis
courage all local enterprises on it's line in
this State, sO much so that there is not to-
day an iron furnace in operation from
Baltimore TO the Ohio river.
The Baltimore and Ohio Company has
always fought and attempted to crush
every feeder and connection which it did
own. 1t opposed the Ohio River iallroad
Company controlled By Senator Camden
and his frtends) until it forced that com
pany Ia a connection with the Pennsyl-
wanna Railroad at Wheeling. just now 1t
is beginning hostile movement against the
ClarksbuTg ana Weston road. an important
branch. II is in m open fight with the
Grafton aud Greenbrier road coming IN al
Grafton. ard Il has made an effort to seize
g majority of the stock in that company
and thereby control the road. In the
pending litigation it is o curious fact that
Vice President Spencer swears to one state
OF facts aad John w. Mason, leading
lawyer at Grafton and one OF the counsel
of the Baltimore and Ohio, swears to what
Is construed here to be the opposite.
Coming further East the most important
connection OF the Baltimore and Ohio which
il does not own is reached ut Piedmont,
owned by the West Virginia Central and
Pittsburg Railroad Company, being known
as the Davis end Elkins road. The Ba!tl
more and Ohio company ere understood
here TO have waged war against this com
pany for the plst four years. At one time
u seized 1sj freight cars Of the Davis AMI
Elkins road beside discriminating against
it. Last summer Charles +. Mayer, presi-
dent OF QUE Cr the Baltimore aud Ohio
branch lines, with the aid OF Baltimore aud
Ohio employees tore up nearly mile OF the
track of the Piedmont and Cumberland
road, an extension of the Davis and Eiklns
line 20 Cumberland, took away the ties and
rails and still holds them. In this way
Mayer aud the Baltimore aud Ohio com-
pany stopped shipments over the Piedmont
line for about three months.
All this and many other things celcu-
lated to offend the people of West Virginia
have q cured under the old administra
tion of affairs, MIR. Spencer being the chief
executive officer, who, according to adj
vices, is to NJ made the new President in
the reorganization. IL ia also said that
MIR Mayer, now in the Board, is to he
made Vice President. The New York
syndicate had fine opportunity t" rescue
the Baltimore and Ohio property from It's
perils, but there is an apprehension that
it has not made use OF 1t. The opinion Is
current throughout the State that the old
Influence that controlled the Baltimore
and Ohio company has misled aud de
ceived the New York syndicate. Ii the syn,
dictate had made clean sweep, appointed
new officers aud inaugurateda liberal local
policy toward the people, put the company
in harmony with all connecting companies
and lines, there is no doubt that success
would have followed such = course.
The Davis and Elkins railroad company
has suits against the Baltimore and ONO
company, Mayer and others for tear g ny
tracks, appropriating ties and rails, bold
iut ears and discri animation amounting to
nearly $500, 900. These suits are IN the
hands Of competent attorneys and Will be
pushed.
The people on and near the lines OF the
Baltimore and Ohio and parties controlling
connections feel 50 bitterly toward the
Baltimore and Ohio company that 1t II
current talk now that the conduct OF the
company in West Virginia will he made
the subject of inquiry at the next session
of the Legislature TO 10 see 1t In some way
redress NAV be had for the grievances they
have been suffering for so long time.